Amusement device



F. E GUILD.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1920.

Patented Jan. 18,1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET. 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES afiGui I ATTORNEYS F. E. GU|LD..

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION man mun 1 a. 1920.

Patented Jan. 18; 19 21.

4- $HETSSHEET 4- f 5 /2 '75 g /d' 76K W W/UVESSES INVENTOR V BY ATTORNEYS PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK EARL GUILD, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

AMUSEMENT nnvrcn.

Application filed. time 19,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK EARL GUlLD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of hililwaulree, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsiinhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.

ll ly invention .is an improvement in amusement devices, and has for its object to provice a device of the character specified wherein a series of cars is provided, and a traclrway upon which the cars have guided movement in an endless loop, and wherein a variety of movements is imparted to the car during its passage about the loop, the tracltway having at each end a turntable to which the cars are automatically connected and disconnected in their passage about the turntable.

la the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the trackway, with the cars removed;

3 is a section on the line 38 of Fig. 1; v

l ig. 1- is a perspective view of the coupling between a car and the turntable, showing;- the parts detached;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the parts connected v Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a car;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the means for locking the seat to the car.

In the present embodiment of the invention a trackwayl is provided, of elliptical form, and of any desired length. and width. At each end of this tracltway there is jour naled a shaft 2 and. 3, respectively, the said shafts being parallel, and the ends of the traclrway 1 are rounded on arcswhosecenters are the shafts 2 and 3. A. wheel 1, having a pentagonaloutline, is secured to each of the shafts 2 and 3, each of the wheels being; composed of bars forming the sides and other bars forming spokes leading from the sides to a hub which encircles the shaft. A bevel gear wheel 5is secured to the shaft 3 beneath the wheel 41, and this bevel gear meshes with a bevel pinion 6 on the shaft 7 of a suitable motor, indicated at 8.

A. series of cars is provided, each of the cars consisting of a body 9 and a seat 10 which is pivoted to the body at the center thereof, as indicated at 11. The bodies of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 390,123.

the cars are square, and at each corner of the under face of the body there is iournaled a wheel 12, the said wheels beiilg caster wheels and running upon the track 1. These cars are linked together by flexible members 13, said flexible members being arranged at the inner sides of the bodies, and means is provided for holding the cars on a straight line during their travel between the wheels.

Each of the said means consists of a pair of guide rails 1 1 secured to the tracliway l, and each car has wheels or rollers on its under surface, for running between the guide rails, the rollers 15 being so arranged with respect to the car body that they will hold the car body in proper position while the rollers are in engagement with the rails.

Means is provided for connecting each car to a face of each pentagonal wheel, as the said car is passing about the wheel. Beferring to Fig. 1, it will be noticed thatthe cars have a width somewhat less than the length of the side of a pentagonal wheel, and the flexible members 13 are of such length that each car will engage a side of the pentagonal wheel and will move therewith during, its passage about the wheel.

The means for connecting the car bodies to the wheel faces is shown more particularly in Figs. 41 and 5, To the inner edge of each car there is secured pair of plates 16, each of which has a series of laterally extending lugs 17 and 18. A shaft 19 is held in the three lugs of each plate, and that portion of the shaft between the lugs 17 and 18 is adapted to engage within the groove 22 in a bearing block 21, one of which is secured to each face of the pentagonal wheel. The groove 22 extends longitudinally of the block and is of considerable depth, as shown, so that the shaft 19 may fit well within the groove, as indicated in Figs. and 5.

A latch member 23 is pivoted to the turntable in such position that when the block 21 engages the shaft 19 the latch23 will engage that portion of the shaftbetween the lugs 18, and the latch has a catch at its ends for engagement behindthe shaft, and when engaged the latch. rests upon the shaft. As shown in Fig. 4, the latch is pivoted to the turntable, as indicated at 24:, and when not in engagement with the shaft 19 the latch is supported in position to engage such shaft by a bar extending parallel from the block 21. A roller 25 depends from the latch plate near the pivotal connection, the plate having lugs between which the roller is iournaled.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be seen that the latch plate is so bent that there is an incline adjacent to the. turntable and an abrupt or perpendicular portion at the edge of the turntable, and the roller 25 is on this inclined portion. This roller is adapted to engage a cam 26 on the trackway 1, to swing the latch member upwardly, to release it from the car, and to release the car from the turntable, just as the car will be leaving the turntable for the straight track rails 14. Thus as each car approaches aturntable it will be automatically connected with the turntable, as indicated at the left of Fig. 1. The engagement of the latches 23 is automatic and the latches will be released at the proper moment to permit the cars to move slightly away from the turntable, as clearly shown at the bottom and left of Fig. 1.

At each end of the trackway there is provided a curved rail or track 2 7. These rails or tracks merge at their ends into the surface of the trackway 1 and they incline upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, toward their centers, being of greatest height at their centers, where they are supported by suitable standards indicated at 28.

Each car body 9 has a substantially triangular bracket 29 extending outwardly from the outer side of the car and each bracket carries at its outer end a journal pin 30 on which is journaled a wheel or roller 31. These wheels or rollers are adapted to engage the track 2'? to tilt the cars into the'position of Fig. 3. As the car passes around the turntables the rollers 31 will run up on the tracks 27 and the car body will be tilted as shown in Fig. 3, the outer end of the 'body being lifted until the roller 31 passes the highest point of the track 27, when the outer end of the car will begin to descend and will eventually be returned to level position. Each car body has connected therewith a seat or car 32. Each of these seats is a casing and substantially triangular, having the seatproper at the base, and the pointed or apex end of the casing is covered over, as shown.

Each side wall of each casing is cut away adjacent tothe seat, as shown at 33 in Fig. 3, to facilitate entrance and exit from the seat or car. Each of these cars 32 is rigid with a shaft 34 which is journaled at the center of the car body and each shaft has at its lower end a cross 35. A spacing block or sleeve 36'is arranged on the shaft between the car body and the carer seat, and the arms of the cross 35 are notched, as indicated at 36, on lines substantially radial to the shaft 34. These notches are adapted to be engaged by rollers 37 on the trackway 1.

The said rollers 37 are arranged in series, one series being at each side of the traclnvay, and they are so spaced that they will engage the notches of the cross arms of each ear in succession. As each car is disconnected from the turntable at the right of Fig. 2, and the rollers 15 thereof engage the rails 14, the first roller 37 will engage the notch of a cross arm. The car will be swung through an arc of ninety degrees and the engagement of the next cross arm with the next roller will swing the car through an arc of another ninety degrees. Thus when the last cross arm leaves the last roller, the car will have been swung through a are or circle of three hundred sixty degrees. That is, it will have made a complete revolution about the shaft 34.

The turntables 5 have annular tracks 38 on their under faces, and each track has an inwardly extending flange, as shown in Fig. 3. This flange engages beneath rollers 39 on a guide 40 supported by the traclnvay 1. and this engagement prevents wabbling or tilting of the turntable.

In operation, when the motor 8 is running the turntable at the right of Fig. 2 will be rotated, and the series of cars which are connected in an endless belt encircling the two turntables will begin to move. The cars are so spaced and are of such relative size with respect to the turntables that as each car moves into alinement with the adjacent side of a turntable the latch 23 will engage the shaft 19 and will lock the car to the turntable. As the car moves about the table. as, for instance, at the bottom and right of Fig. 1, the roller 31 thereof will engage the rail or track 27. The car will be tilted, the outer end moving upwardly at a sharp angle, approximately forty-five degrees, and the passenger in the car will be moved toward an upright position.

The outer end of the car will lift and lower while traveling at distance corresponding to two faces of a turntable, and as the car approaches the rails 14: it will automatically release from the turntable. .\s the car moves along the rails 14 the mechanism shown in Fig. 6 will come into play, rotating the car a complete circle.

Vl hen this rotation is complete the car will be in position to engage the other turntable. A variety of motions is imparted to the passenger, none of which are unpleasant, as, for instance, his head is always higher than his feet and he is always facing the point about which he is turned. Be cause of this fact there is no inclination to cause dizziness or vertigo.

Mechanism is provided for positively locking the car 32 from rotation with respect to the car body, when the car is moving around the turntable. The said mechanism comprises a lug 411 depending from the car, at the base end thereof, that is, at the end which is outermost when the car is passing around the turntable. A pair of blocks 42 and 43 is pivoted to the car body, and the block 42 is normally spring pressed upwardly, as indicated at 44, into position to be engaged by the lug.

The block has an extension arm 45, which carries a roller 46, and the relative weight of the parts is such that the block 43 normally occupies the position of Fig. 7. Cams 47 are secured to the trackway l at the commencement of the rails 14, and these cams are adapted to engage the roller 46 to swing the block 43 down, at the moment when the first pin or roller 37 engages the first cross arm.

The block swings into the dotted line position of Fig. 7 and does not interfere with the swinging of the car 32. The cars may swing over the block 42, which will be de pressed to permit the passage of the lug 41 and the block 43 has returned to normal po sition, as soon as the roller 46 has left the cam 47, and the blocks 42 and 43 again occupy the position of Fig. T, locking the car to the car body. a

I claim:

1. A device of the character specified comprising a base of oblong form, a turntable at each end of the base, each turntable hav- .ing a polygonal outline, a series of car bodies linked together by flexible connections into an endless belt about the turntable, means for rotating one of the turntables, said Car bodies being of such relative length and so spaced with respect to the sides of the turntable that a car body will move in contact with a side of the turn table, and means for automatically clutching the car bodies to the turntable sides as they engage therewith and for releasingthem from the turntable sides as they begin to move away from the turntables on the straight stretch of track, means for constraining the car bodies to move in straight lines between the turntables at the opposite sides of the trackway, a car pivoted to each car body to rotate thereon on a vertical axis, and means arranged adjacent to the guiding means between the turntable for imparting to each car body a complete rotation as it moves from one turntable to another, an arched auxiliary track at each end of the base formed on an arc whose center 01. rotation is the adjacent turntable, each car body having a roller at its outer end for running on the track to tilt the car body as it passes the end of the base.

2. A device of the character specified comprising a base of oblong form, turntable at each end of the base, each turntable having a polygonal outline, a series of car bodies linked together by flexible connections into an endless belt about the turntable, means for rotating one of the turntables, said car bodies being of such relative length and so spaced with respect to the sides of the turntable that a car body will move in contact with a side of the turntable, and means for automatically clutching the car bodies to the turntable sides as they en age therewith and for releasing them from the tin'ntahle sides as they begin to move away from the turntables on the straight stretch of track, means for constraining the car bodies to move in straight lines between the turntables at the opposite sides of the trackway, a car pivoted to each car body to rotate thereon on a vertical axis, and means arranged between the guiding means between the turntable for i111- parting to each car body a complete rotation as it moves from one turntable to another.

A. device of the character specified comprising a base oi? oblong form, a turn table at each end of the base, each turntable having a polygonal outline, a series of car bodies linked together by flexible connections into an endless belt about the turn table, means for rotating one of the turntables, said car bodies being of such relative length and so spaced with respectto the sides of the turntable that a car body will move in contact with a side of the turntable, means for automatically clutching the car bodies to the turntablesides as they engage therewith and for releasing them from the turntable sides as they begin to move away from the turntables on the straight stretch oi track, and means for constraining the car bodies to move in straight lines between the turntables at the opposite sides of the trackway.

4. A device of the character specified com prising a base of oblong form, a turntable at each end of the base, each turntable having a polygonal outline, a series of car bodies linked together by flexible connections into an endless belt about the turntable, means for rotating one of the turntables, said car bodies being of such relative length and so spaced with respect to the sides of the turntable that a car body will move in contact with a side of the turntable, and means for automatically clutching the car bodies to the turntable sides as they engage therewith and for releasing them from the turntable sides as they begin tomove away from the turntables on the straight stretch of track.

5. A device of the character specified comprising a pair of turntables mounted to rotate on vertical axes and spaced apart from each other, a series of car bodies linked together and moving about the turntables,

means for rotating one of the turntables, means adjacent to each turntable and at the side remote from the other turntable for lifting the outer ends of the car bodies as they move around the turntable, said turni lv l 0 tables having polygonal outlines and means in connection with the car bodies and sides of the turntables for clutching the car bodies to the turntables as they move into contact therewith and for releasing said car bodies as they begin to move away from the turntable sides, means between the turntables for constraining the car bodies to move straight between the turntables, a car pivoted to each car body to swing on a vertical axis with respect thereto, and means adj acent t0 the guiding means for constraining the car to rotate through a complete circuit as it moves from one turntable to another.

6. A device of the character specified comprising a pair of turntables mounted to rotate on vertical axes and spaced apart from each other, a series of car bodies linked together and moving about the turntables, means for rotating one of the turntables, and means adjacent to each turntable and at the side remote from the other turntable for lifting the outer ends of the car bodies as they move around the turntable, said turntables having polygonal outlines and means in connection with the car bodies and the sides of the turntables for clutching the car bodies to the turntables as they move into contact therewith and for releasing the said car bodies as they begin to move away from the turntable sides, and means between the turntables for constraining the car bodies to move straight between the turntables.

7. A device of the character specified comprising a pair of turntables mounted to rotate on vertical axes and spaced apart from each other, a series of car bodies linked together and moving about the turntables, means for rotating one of the turntables, and means adjacent to each turntable and at the side remote from the other turntable for lifting the outer ends of the car bodies as they move around the turntable, said turntables having polygonal outlines and means in connection with the car bodies and the sides of the turntables for clutching the car bodies to the turntables as they move into contact therewith and for releasing said car bodies as they begin to move away from the turntable sides.

8. A device of the character specified comprising a pair of turntables mounted to rotate on vertical axes and spaced apart from each other, a series of car bodies linked together and moving about the turntables, means for rotating one o'l. the turntables, and means adjacent to each turntable and at the side remote from the other turntable for lifting the outer ends of the car bodies as they move around the turntable.

9. A device of the character specified comprising a pair of turntables mounted to rotate on vertical axes and spaced apart from each other, a series of car bodies linked together and moving about the turntables, means for rotating one of the turntables, and means in connection with the car bodies and the sides of the turntables for clutching the car bodies to the turntable as they move into contact therewith and for releasing said car bodies as they begin to move away from the turntable sides.

FRANK EARL GUILD. 

